But she laughed when asked by Watson whether she would consider being Jeb Bush’s running mate if he won the GOP nomination: “That’s still running for office! It’s just not in my DNA.”

Rice, who has been endorsing 2014 Senate candidates and helping them raise money, called Rubio “a fantastic young presence” in the Republican Party. She particularly likes that the Florida senator, who is also considering a 2016 White House campaign, “speaks volumes to the American dream and speaks volumes to who we are as Americans.”

She said she’ll be looking for a presidential candidate who “understands the importance to this country of immigration and immigration reform” — an issue that has been dear to both Bush and Rubio.

As for Cruz, Rice pointed out that she knows well the Texas senator and his wife, Heidi, who used to work for her at the National Security Council. “While I don’t agree with Ted Cruz on everything, he’s energetic, he’s working hard, he loves his country,” Rice said. “From time to time when we disagree, I’ll tell him.”